INDUSTRY INSIGHT
plans, but this attitude is short-sighted. These requests are signals, and if you listen closely, they can guide your next move.
THERE’ S A TEMPTATION IN TECH TO THINK OF INNOVATION AS SOMETHING YOU ACHIEVE AFTER A MAJOR RELEASE OR WHEN A NEW FEATURE GOES LIVE, BUT THAT MINDSET MISSES THE MARK.
We actively welcome suggestions from our users. Every release we push includes a significant portion, roughly a third, dedicated to user-requested enhancements. We see it as a vital mechanism for improving the platform where it matters. Our team triages, prioritises and acts on the enhancements that will provide the most value to the wider user base.
This customer-led approach isn’ t unique to us; it’ s becoming a wider expectation. According to a 2024 report, in Q1 2024, the UK AI sector reached a US $ 92 billion valuation – a sign that high-growth tech firms prioritise continuous innovation grounded in real-world feedback.
However, not every suggestion is perfect straight out of the gate. It’ s likely that clients will lack software development expertise and may ask for specific fixes that are, effectively,‘ sticking plasters’ rather than long-term solutions. That’ s where our role as product specialists comes in. It’ s not just about building what’ s asked, it’ s about working together to understand the root cause and develop something that solves it.
With Langham Industries, for example, we’ d long recognised the value of adding a Job and Project Management module to our product suite. But it was its willingness to collaborate, wait and work with us that allowed us to build something futureready. It helped shape the design based on realworld needs, and in return, we delivered a module with a ready-made use case from day one.
Planning for the unplannable
Not all changes are driven by users. Some come from external forces that no business can afford to ignore. Regulation is one of them. And while governments may issue guidance ahead of time, there’ s always the risk of last-minute revisions.
Take the government’ s Making Tax Digital initiative( MTD). It came with months of notice,
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